GhostWhite Eyes
by Tasogare-Taichou
Summary: Pairings: Eventual NaruHina, SasuSaku, NejiTen, ShikaTem, ShikaIno, maybe others. 2yrs after Sasuke leaves, a mysterious girl shows up to take the Chuunin exams along with the Rookie9 and Team Gai.
1. Prologue: A Misson Failed

**Genre**: Action/Angst/Drama/Romance

**Pairings**: Eventual NaruHina, SasuSaku, NejiTen, ShikaTem, ShikaIno, possibly others.

**Summary**: During the 3-year time skip, when the Chuunin exams are held for the second time, the lives of the Konoha Genin, especially that of Hyuuga Neji, are thrown into disarray by the appearance of a girl with luminous white eyes, carrying the name of Hyuuga Suzuki. Exactly WHO is Suzuki, and how will the Konoha gang, especially Neji and Hinata, deal with the seething hatred she holds for the very clan from which she takes her name?

**Disclaimer**: Yeah, I don't own Naruto, so stop your whining. If I owned Naruto, Sasuke wouldn't be such a dick to Sakura, Neji would be mine, and Naruto would notice that Hinata's nuts about him.

**Ghost-White Eyes: Prologue**

_Konohagakure no Sato, 11 years ago_

His footsteps pounded against the limbs as he fled through the trees as silently and as quickly as he could. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he reached a hand to his side, grimacing as it came back stained with vermilion. He swore silently under his breath, frowning as he felt his strength ebbing away slightly with the slow but steady trickle of crimson that oozed from the deep wound beneath his ribs.

_Dammit, looks like it nicked an artery. It's bleeding badly, I don't have much time._

He trained his eyes ahead, on the rain-soaked tree-branches and trunks that rushed past, molding chakra to his feet to keep a grip on the slippery wood. He couldn't fail. Not this time. There was too much at stake, too many lives that would be altered forever if what he carried fell into the wrong hands. He reached one hand into the inner pocket of his black vest, feeling for the scroll that was hidden. He sighed in relief to find it still there. Landing on a tree branch, the dark-haired man leaned against the trunk, breathing hard. The side of his vest was stained red, and the water from the rain had mingled with the blood, leaving a trail of red down the side of his leg. He grimaced, holding one hand over the wound.

_There's no time to do anything about it. And it's too deep. I'm losing too much blood._

He wiped dripping bangs from his eyes, blinking to clear his vision. Glancing behind him, he concentrated his chakra and stretched it out, sensing for his pursuers. He hissed angrily at what he felt. They were still there, all right. Six of them in all, all moving at a quick pace. He wiped his forehead, hitai-ate scratched from the impact with branches, before leaping off of the tree branch and continuing on, picking up his pace. As he ran, he half-turned and tossed a flurry of kunai behind, explosive tags attached to the ends.

Maybe that will slow them down? Probably not, but it can't hurt. Almost there…. I have to get this scroll to her. It's her only hope to get beyond her destiny.

His eyes watered slightly at the thought of the wife and child he would leave behind. It wasn't really a question in his mind that he wouldn't survive his self-imposed mission. He was no medical specialist, but he had seen enough wounds to know that he was bleeding to death as he ran. And even if he didn't die from the loss of the life-giving fluid, when his pursuers caught up with him they would invariably kill him. And the death that came from their hands, while certainly swifter in it's deliverance, would be far less gentle then the slow loss of consciousness that clawed at his heels. Reaching the edge of the forest, he dropped to the ground and ran, ignoring the explosions that echoed behind him and told him that his pursuers had reached the exploding tags he set for them. Up ahead he could make out the outline of a small house with a light burning.

Please, please don't see me! They can't know about you. If they do…if they saw you….

He stumbled as he landed; narrowly dodging a flurry of shuriken flung his way. He spun, coughing up blood as an open-palm strike landed in the center of his chest.

Dammit, he got me good with that one. Not that it really matters, as much blood as I've lost. But still…. they're not going to get it so easily.

The battered man stood his ground as the six figures dashed out of the trees to ring themselves loosely in a circle around him, effectively blocking him from moving anywhere. One of them stepped forward, eyes narrowing.

"Ochiba(1). That which you have taken does not belong to you. Return the scroll to us at once, accept your fate, and we may spare your life. Do not, and you will die here today."

Another of them stepped foreword, this one a woman. She brushed her long braid over her shoulder and clasped her hands in front of her, a pleading look in her eyes.

"Ochiba-kun, please listen to them. They WILL kill you if you resist. Now just hand over the scroll and come back with us. I'm asking you as a sister, please. Don't do this."

He looked into the woman's eyes, the same as his own eyes, which were starting to cloud over. He wobbled slightly on his feet, the blood loss finally beginning to take it's hold as was evidenced by the puddle that had collected at his feet, the blood mingling with the torrential rain and winding along the ground in thin trails as it mixed with the runoff from the grass. He sighed, shakily assuming a taijutsu stance and shaking his head.

"You know I can't do that, Hotarubi(2). This is something that I have to do, no matter what the outcome is. There are those who need this information more then you do."

The woman's lower lip trembled as she lowered her hands, fisting them by her sides. She bit her lip, obviously trying hard not to cry. One of the other members of the six shot her a stern glance.

"Hotarubi-san, now is not the time for foolish emotions. We must complete this mission, for the good of the clan as well as for the safety and security of Konoha. That scroll must not fall into anyone's hands. Do not worry. I will kill him, and spare you having your older brother's blood on your hands."

The man who had spoken stepped in front of her, taking a similar fighting stance. He narrowed his eyes at Ochiba's swaying figure.

"Ochiba-san, this is the last time I will ask you to return what is mine and offer you the chance to end this without the loss of your life."

Ochiba shook his head. He was through with running away, with giving in and deferring to those who claimed dominion over him. Steadying his stance, he gave a weak smirk. He was dying, that much was obvious to him. But even if he was to die, at the very least he wanted to die in his own way, by his own choice. Not because someone else willed it.

"No. I refuse to yield to you. Even if it means my death, I will not submit."

The other man nodded slightly.

"That is what I expected you to say. Very well. Goodbye Ochiba-san."

In the small house on the hill, a lone female figure crouched huddled in a corner, clutching a small child to her. Her long chestnut hair fell around her face, shielding violet-hued eyes that brimmed with tears threatening to join the ones already sliding down her cheeks in thin rivulets. She shuddered as she heard the sounds of clanging steel outside, clutching a dark-haired child closer to her chest and trying to shut out the sounds. The child struggled, trying to get free of the restraining arms that bound her.

"Okaa-san, Otou-san is in trouble, we need to go help him! Okaa-san! Let me go, let me go! I have to help Otou-san!

The woman let out a choked sob and only held the child tighter. Her petite frame shuddered with the sobs she was struggling to withhold as she shook her head.

"No, you can't! If they find us…if they know about you…. then everything your father worked and fought for would be destroyed!

The child however, didn't understand her mother's tears. And how could she? She still belonged to the world of childish dreams and hopes, where good triumphed over evil and justice held that good men and women were rewarded while bad ones were punished. In that world, there was no understanding of insurmountable odds, no comprehension of the fact that, as a three-year old child the small girl would be no match at all for the opponents she so desperately wanted to face. And so neither was there the self-control to stay quiet when the sounds of battle gave way to the tortured screams of the man in the clearing. Her eyes widened, filling with tears as she struggled harder against her mother's arms, fighting to free herself and run to the father she adored.

"Otou-san, Otou-san, Otou-san!"

There was a final tortured scream from outside, then silence. Outside, the man who had spoken eyed the body on the ground in front of him. He shook his head slightly and stepped forward, searching the pockets of the now-dead man. He stood up again, hand gripping a black scroll edged in a silvery-gray colour and sealed with a red cord. He turned to his companions and nodded. They vanished into the forest, leaving the prone form behind. In the house, the girl's eyes widened as her mother broke down into sobs, arms wrapped around her daughter with a vise-like tightness. Even a child of only three could understand what that last scream, combined with her mother's reaction, had meant. A scream echoed through the house, thankfully unheard by those across the clearing.

"OTOU-SAN!"

Present-Day 

Eyes opened, taking in the ceiling above them. It was the same ceiling they saw every morning, with the same patterns of cracks and inconsistencies. A hand reached up and brushed dark hair out of the same eyes, slipping back to massage the temples of the figure on the bed. The eyes trailed across the room to the calendar on the wall, a date circled in red. Carefully, the Genin counted the red X-marks that counted up to 8 days before the circled date.

Eight days….

Hands gently caressed the outside of a faded and tattered scroll. The figure looked at the calendar again, eyes narrowing slightly.

Eight days until I can finally begin to avenge you.

Carefully placing the scroll in a locked drawer, the figure stood and headed out of the room, grabbing an onigiri from the kitchen table and stuffing it in their mouth, door slamming behind.

Chapter One Preview – It's been nearly 2 years since Sasuke and Naruto left, and the remainder of the Konoha Genin are anxiously awaiting the upcoming Chuunin exams. Just like the last time, ninja from many other villages will be gathering with them to test their skill and show their pride in their country. While the majority of the Rookie-9 prepare themselves for the exam, Haruno Sakura wrestles with her own fears and reluctance to face the memories she has of the previous abortive Chuunin exam. Will she be able to overcome her memories and move forward to become stronger or will she remain forever trapped by the memories of Sasuke and the war with Suna and Oto that led to the fracturing of her safe and secure world?

Author's Notes:

1. Ochiba means "fallen leaves"

2. Hotarubi means "firefly's fire/light"

Before you go complaining about how we don't know who Ochiba or Hotarubi are, that's part of the plot. You'll find out who they are eventually.

Please read and review, you KNOW the little purple button wants you to push it...


	2. Chapter 1: Moving Foreward

**Genre**: Action/Drama/Angst/Romance

**Pairings**: Eventual NaruHina, SasuSaku, NejiTen, ShikaTem, ShikaIno, possibly others.

**Summary**: During the 3-year time skip, when the Chuunin exams are held for the second time, the lives of the Konoha Genin, especially that of Hyuuga Neji, are thrown into disarray by the appearance of a girl with luminous white eyes, carrying the name of Hyuuga Suzuki. Exactly WHO is Suzuki, and how will the Konoha gang, especially Neji and Hinata, deal with the seething hatred she holds for the very clan from which she takes her name?

Notes: OK, just to clear up any time-line inconsistencies, my own personal version of the Naruto timeline goes like this: Naruto anime – filler – 2.5 yr. Time skip – Naruto 2. That basically means that I view the anime-filler as events that occur in the 6-8 months after the Sasuke-retrieval arc and prefer to think that Naruto leaves with Jiraiya after those 6-8 months and is therefore only actually gone from Konoha for 2-2.5 years or so. At the point GWE begins, it is roughly a year and a half since Naruto has left, and the Rookie-9 are 14. That makes Neji's team 15, Gaara 14, Temari 17, and Kankurou 16. Suzuki is 14, same age as the Rookie-9.

As always, thoughts are in italics, inner-selves talking will be in bold, and dialogue is in normal quotes.

**Ghost-White Eyes**

**Chapter One** – The Stirring of a New Wind.

**Summary** – The Chuunin exams are looming on the horizon, and Sakura and the others must decide if they can put aside their memories of the last exam in order to take their chances in this one.

The dark-haired girl reached over to her dresser, picking up the flat pendant on a leather cord. Holding it in her hand, she stared at it for a moment, eyes tracing the well-memorized lines of crystalline blue and white that sparkled through the blackness of the stone. Closing her hand around it, she let her eyes drift closed for a moment before opening them again and fastening the pendant around her neck. The flat stone swung momentarily before coming to rest in the hollow of her throat, warming to her body heat. Fastening her hitai-ate around her neck, she picked up the backpack that sat forgotten on the bed and swung it onto her back. Turning towards the door, she let her hand drift across the dresser, lingering for a moment over a faded photograph in a worn frame before she pulled the sliding door closed and walked down the hall. Bidding goodbye to the sole other occupant of the house, she slid her feet into her sandals and headed off down the dirt road without hardly a glance behind her.

"Ittekimasu (3)! I'm training with Tsunade-shishou today so I'll be back home late."

The girl in the red dress waved to her parents as she headed out the door, pulling it closed behind her. Stepping out onto the street, she paused for a moment. Closing her eyes, she tilted her face towards the warm sunlight, reveling in the feeling of warmth as a light summer breeze ruffled her hair. The dress she wore was in a Chinese-style, and was much the same as the dress she had worn in her academy days as a young Genin. It had a high collar that was open in the front with a zipper running from it and a skirt that was split up both sides to her waist. White edged the crimson silk at the collar and hem, and there was a white ring embroidered on the front of the skirt as well as on the back of the bodice, just like before. Anyone who was just meeting the girl might not have noticed the differences between the dress she wore now and the one she had worn before, but those who knew her well noticed the change. This dress had no sleeves, and the hemline was shorter, only reaching mid-thigh. At her waist, on either side where the skirt was slit, there was a smaller embroidered circle of white that joined with the white edging. Along that very same edging was embroidered small sakura blossoms in the palest of pink, only visible upon close inspection. Underneath the dress, the girl still wore the same dark green leggings as always, but she had changed her footwear, now sporting black sandals instead of blue, and having added a set of black shin guard-style armour. The only other difference in her outfit was the addition of black fingerless gloves with a pink sakura embroidered onto the back of them. There was a small white bag attached to the back of her dress, and she sported a black holster on her right thigh, white bandages underneath to pad it. Haruno Sakura opened her jade-green eyes and brushed pale rose-coloured tresses out of her face, securing an errant strand behind the hitai-ate she wore as a headband. In the last two years or so she had started to grow her hair out again, but each time she tried, she found that it seemed to get in the way. So she just ended up cutting it again. Since then, she had decided to simply keep it stylishly short, only an inch or two longer then where it had been during that first abortive Chuunin exam.

I never really thought about how annoying long hair can be when you're training. Guess I was just too preoccupied with other things before.

She frowned slightly as her thoughts took her to the root of those "other things". It was really more accurate to say thing. Thing, as in one singular isolated part of her life that had taken control of her mind, spirit and heart and refused to let go. That thing, or person as it were, had a name. Uchiha Sasuke. Last survivor of the prestigious and legendary clan that was betrayed and destroyed by one of it's own, and the prodigy who had turned his back on his friends and abandoned Konohagakure in order to gain power. The boy who had stolen her heart and dashed it to the ground with as little concern as he would have for a fly he swatted from the air. Sakura sighed slightly as she walked down the sidewalk. That was another thing that she couldn't seem to change. Just like her hair, though she tried to let her feelings for the cold-hearted Uchiha flow from her like runoff from a storm, they kept returning. She felt irrevocably trapped in her current state. She had certainly grown stronger, her tutelage under the Godaime Hokage had seen to that. But it was in her heart that Sakura felt doubt in her own strength. And so it was that the pink-haired kunoichi found her mind drifting to the question that she asked herself every day.

Why can't I just get over him? I've accepted the fact that he left. That he abandoned Konoha and everyone in it. That he abandoned ME. So why can't I just let him go?

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

She turned towards the voice, halfway expecting it to be Naruto. Of course, it wasn't. The noisy blonde had been gone for nearly a year, off on some sort of training journey with the Ero-Sennin Jiraiya. She giggled slightly at the thought. Even though he was one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya didn't seem at all like the sort of person who was anything other then a pervert. Especially the way that he was always "researching" for those horrid books he wrote.

"Ohayou, Lee-kun. How are you this morning?"

Sakura smiled at the black-haired young man in the green jumpsuit who stood in front of her. Rock Lee grinned, perfect white teeth seeming a tad extra shiny this morning, and struck the "nice guy pose", handing her a single pink rose. She took it from him with a smile and a nod. Lee was always such a sweet guy to her. Sakura knew she didn't have feelings for the high-spirited taijutsu master, and she knew that he was aware of that too. But that didn't seem to ever stop Lee. Every day he strove to not only present Sakura with flowers and gifts and the like, but to proclaim his eternal devotion and resolve to one day win her heart away from the cold-hearted Uchiha who had absconded with it. And in a way, Sakura was thankful for it. Lee was a good-hearted guy, and it was certainly a nice thing to have someone who actually NOTICED her and thought of her in that way.

"Thank you, Lee-kun. You're always so nice to me."

Lee gave her his famous grin and nodded. He saw Sakura most every morning as he headed for training with Gai-sensei. They took the same road; she heading to the Hokage's tower and he to the training area that he and Gai-sensei used that was a few miles past the tower. Lee had taken it upon himself to walk with Sakura every morning since the first day they took that road, declaring that he would never be able to live with himself if his "beautiful blooming flower" came to any harm. Sakura had laughed and waved him off, saying that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but Lee had insisted. Since then, it had become normalcy for him to meet her as she took the road to the tower, usually with a flower or other small gift in hand. He knew perfectly well that her heart still belonged to the Uchiha and he didn't try to dissuade her from it. Rock Lee was perfectly content to simply shower the girl he loved with his adoration and affection and to languish in the knowledge that even if he couldn't make her love him, at least he could make her smile. Things had continued in much the same way and they had soon developed a friendship. They had even taken to training together at some points, as Sakura had wanted to develop her taijutsu skills and Lee found that her use of chakra-enhanced strength made her quite a suitable sparring partner for him.

"Lee-kun, you really don't have to walk me to the tower every morning, you know. I mean I'm sure that you'd rather get an earlier start on your own training so that you can beat Neji like you've always wanted. And I really AM alright on my own."

As Lee started off onto his typical speech about protecting the fragile beauty and honor of his most-treasured flower, Sakura let her mind wander to her meeting with Tsunade the other day.

Flashback 

Sakura carefully took the scroll from the hand of her mentor and nodded. The pair of honey-brown eyes in front of her narrowed slightly as the tattooed brow furrowed in thought. The Godaime Hokage, Tsunade, scratched one painted fingernail against the side of her head and sighed.

"Sakura, there's no need to look so serious about it. You did a fine job of learning the technique; I just want you to practice it a bit more. Hone the skills you already possess. That scroll contains not only the basics of the technique but also the details and procedures of several different applications. Study it, and when you feel confidant enough to try it out, I'll observe how you do."

The Genin in front of her nodded and turned to leave. As she placed her hand on the doorknob, the clearing of a throat behind her stopped her pace.

"Sakura. The Chuunin exams are going to be held 4 months from now. I think you should consider registering."

Sakura stiffened, hand still on the doorknob. The Chuunin exams… At the thought of the last abortive exams, a swell of memories surged up within her. Sasuke, covered with the cursed seal's dark flames, attacking the Oto-nin with murder in his eyes. Sabaku no Gaara transforming partially into his possessed form, the Shukaku of the Sand, and attacking Sasuke then herself. The Sandaime Hokage murdered by the traitor Orochimaru who had given Sasuke the cursed seal. Sasuke…she couldn't think about him at all without her mind automatically following the trail of thoughts to that one fateful night when he had left her lying on a bench with nothing but a cryptic "thank-you". Tsunade watched the emotions evident in her student's face, expression serious. She knew how her apprentice felt about the young missing-nin, but she also knew that Sakura had far too much potential for it to be wasted pining away for the Uchiha boy who had left. And it was time that Sakura realized that. She stood up, brushing platinum blonde bangs from her eyes.

"Sakura. I won't force you to take it, but I strongly advise it. You came to me to get stronger; that was what you asked of me. But you cannot stay a Genin forever if you hope to accomplish that wish. I realize that you have painful memories of the last Chuunin exam, but I want you to think about what you risk losing should you choose to avoid taking it again. The decision is yours, but I want you to promise me that you will at least consider it."

Sakura's shoulders relaxed slightly and she nodded quickly once.

"Hai, Tsunade-shishou. I will consider it. I will also review the contents of this scroll as you have asked. Arigatou."

She took the handle of the door and turned it, stepping out into the hallway and closing it behind her. Tsunade smiled as she heard her apprentice heading down the hall. Shizune cocked her head to one side quizzically as she handed the Hokage her tea.

"Tsunade-sama, what was that all about? You seem like you want so badly for Sakura to take the Chuunin exam. Why not just order her to? You know that she would obey if you did."

The blonde-haired woman smiled, resting her chin on her clasped hands. Shizune was right, of course. Sakura was a dutiful enough apprentice that if her shishou and her Hokage told her to do something, even if it was something she didn't want to do, she would complete the task as efficiently as she would any other mission that was given to her. But that wasn't the reason behind the amber-eyed woman's requests.

"You're right, Shizune. I _could_ have just ordered her to take it. But if she takes it under my order without really wanting it, not only will her mind and heart not be in the endeavor, but her _performance_ as a Chuunin will also be lessened. Besides that…"

She glanced out the window to where her red-clad student was walking to her normal training area. Her brow furrowed slightly.

"Sakura still carries a lot of wounds from the last Chuunin exam; wounds that are proving to be difficult to heal from. She needs another chance to prove, not to us, but to herself, that she isn't as weak as she's always thought she is. A chance to finally regain her confidence and stride foreword rather then clinging always to the past."

End Flashback 

"Sakura-chan. Sakura-chan!"

Lee's words jolted Sakura out of her reverie. She flushed in embarrassment, realizing that he'd likely been trying to get her attention for some time now.

"Gomen Lee, I spaced out there. What were you saying?"

The jump-suited young man shook his head and smiled. He pointed to a small cafe and held up a change-purse.

"No apologies necessary, my kawai Sakura-chan. However, I will repeat my youthful request and ask you if you would give me the honor of buying you breakfast. As it is, there is still time before your training is scheduled to start. If you would only say yes, my youthful heart would be blessed by the company of an exquisite lotus-bloom such as yourself."

Sakura couldn't help but giggle at Lee's often-comical way of speaking, as well as his never-ending enthusiasm. Sure, it was silly, but it also made her laugh and easily took her mind off of the thoughts that had been plaguing her. She checked her watch and nodded.

"All right, Lee-kun. Since there's still some time, let's get some breakfast. But don't go thinking this is a date, because it's not! We're just two friends getting a quick bite to eat."

Lee struck another "nice guy" pose and nodded frantically.

"As you wish, cherry-blossom of my heart!"

The green-eyed kunoichi shook her head slightly and followed Lee into the café. Looking around, she spotted some of the other Rookie-9 in the back corner table. Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru were sitting around a large plate of smoked meat, the two others watching with expressions of slight nausea as Chouji plowed through his meal. Upon seeing Sakura and Lee, Ino stood up and waved.

"It's Forehead-girl and Lee-san. Hey guys come and join us!"

All three of them had changed slightly too, it seemed. Ino had decided she liked her hair longer after all, and had been growing it out again. While it wasn't as long as it had been before, it was certainly longer then after the prior Chuunin exams. She had changed the style a little bit, adding a bun at the base of her ponytail that was decorated with a simple hair stick and tie. Her outfit hadn't changed much, though she had shifted from a top and skirt to a one-piece dress of the same cut and style. Fingerless fishnet gloves that reached her elbows replaced the arm warmers she had once worn, and the bandages on her body were limited to her legs and lower half. Her hitai-ate was still worn as a belt around her waist. Chouji still wore his hitai-ate the same way, but he had traded his shorts for long pants and his jacket now had long sleeves with a red stripe running down the outside edge of each sleeve. Shikamaru's outfit hadn't changed at all since he had added the green flak vest to his ensemble, but he had added forearm guards like the ANBU wear, and his hair had grown a bit so that he now had a few strands that hung down in his face. Sakura nodded and she and Lee made their way over to the table. Sliding into the circular booth, they picked up menus and ordered. Ino leaned over towards Sakura, eyebrows raised.

"Soooo Forehead-girl. Coming here with Lee-san, huh? What will people think?"

Sakura glared at Ino and stuck her tongue out before taking a sip of her ice water.

"It's not what you think, Ino-pig. Lee-kun and I are just friends. We take the same road to training every morning, so we often walk together. He's also been helping me with my taijutsu training. I mean, with Team 7 gone now…"

There was suddenly silence. Ino grimaced, feeling somewhat guilty. She knew what Sakura was really thinking. _"with Naruto and Sasuke gone now.."._ She hadn't meant to remind her blush-haired friend of the two young men who were her most important people; she had just wanted to poke some fun at the other girl. She took a nervous sip of her drink, the sudden silence around the table seeming deafening.

"A..aa…Sakura…I didn't mean to…"

The pink-haired kunoichi shook her head. Ino was right, after all. She really ought to give up on the raven-haired Uchiha. She forced a smile and waved her hand towards her friend.

"It's ok, Ino-pig. Naruto will come back when he's finished his training. And as for Sasuke-kun…. I just need to accept that he's probably not going to come back and focus on getting on with my life, right?"

Ino stared at her friend a bit warily. She knew Sakura better then most people, and she certainly knew her well enough to know that she was a lot more bothered by Sasuke's leaving then what she wanted everyone to think. The blonde couldn't help but feel saddened for her friend. Even though she herself had long-since given up on Sasuke and moved on to other things, she knew that her rose-haired best friend had always cared a great deal more for the onyx-eyed prodigy then any of his other fan girls. And she also knew that it was Sakura, above all the others, who truly understood the reclusive Uchiha and who truly loved him for who he was, not just his looks or demeanor. Sakura knew the real Sasuke, even if Sasuke himself didn't realize it, and it was because of that fact that Ino knew Sakura would have a long road ahead of her if she planned to give up on her hopes of a love with the Sharingan-user.

Baka Sakura, trying to act all strong and pretend you're not hurting. I know you better then that, Forehead. I know you still cry for him at nights when you're alone.

Trying to ease the uncomfortable silence, Ino changed the subject. Turning to Lee, she poked him in the shoulder to get his attention. The young man spun around from gazing at Sakura, bowl-cut hairdo whirling as he did so.

"Ne Lee-san, did you hear? They're going to hold the next Chuunin exam four months from now. Our team is going to participate. Asuma-sensei wants us to try again. Is your team participating too?"

Lee nodded enthusiastically, the table nearly shaking from his motion. Since his operation from Tsunade, Lee had taken an even more serious approach to his training, working harder and harder each day. But, despite the fact that he trained harder, he had also become wiser. He knew that, as important as winning might be, if he injured himself again as he had before, there would be no other operation that would restore his body. If that happened, he really WOULD have to quit being a ninja.

"Hai! Gai-sensei says that the fires of youth that burn within us are crying to be freed and that the way we must do that is to prove ourselves in this next Chuunin exam. While I cannot speak for my team-mates, I know that my own warrior's soul is filled with jubilation at the prospect!"

Sasuke and Ino giggled slightly while Chouji kept eating and Shikamaru sighed and looked bored. The lazy Chuunin leaned back in his seat and shook his head, munching on a stick of grilled meat.

"You guys are too noisy. Being a Chuunin isn't all that great, you know. It's so troublesome most of the time. Besides, Ino; how do you expect to participate if you only have a 2-man cell? Just troublesome, I tell you. You'll have to find a new team-member or you'll be at a disadvantage. The only ones who'll have any sort of chance are the complete 3-man cells like Lee's."

Ino whacked him in the back of the head, blue eyes widening. He could really be dense sometimes.

"Shikamaru, you idiot! _Think_ before you speak!"

She glanced back to Sakura, who had quieted down and was staring intently at her tea. Ino laughed nervously.

"B..besides, who says that they aren't going to change the rules this time around? I mean, with Konoha still at war with Oto, they probably want as many Genin participating as possible, right? So a 2-man team should be fine. Besides, Asuma-sensei wouldn't have suggested it if there was something wrong with the idea."

Shikamaru sighed and rolled his eyes, rubbing the back of his head where Ino had whacked him. He picked up his discarded skewer of meat and started eating again.

"Actually…Tsunade-shishou wants _me_ to enter the Chuunin exam."

The others around the table stopped eating and stared in shock at their pink-haired companion. Lee was the first one to speak up.

"Sakura-chan, do you really think that is wise? A flower's blooms are so fragile, they should be protected from the evils of the world. Who will protect you if you are all alone in the exam?"

"He's right, Sakura. Don't you think you should wait until Naruto gets back from his training? Then you'd have him as your backup. You wouldn't be all by yourself against everyone else."

Though Ino's concern was genuine, Sakura couldn't help but feel that it struck a little bit of a nerve. While she was certainly apprehensive about the possibility, it stung that her friends seemed to think she'd grown so little that she still needed to be protected. She narrowed her jade-green eyes and finished her drink, setting the glass down.

"Don't underestimate me. I'm not the weak little Sakura I used to be. I'm not the girl who always hid behind Sasuke and Naruto anymore. So don't expect me to still be that girl. Besides, I don't even know if I WANT to do the Chuunin exam. I've got a lot of things already to worry about, what with my medic-nin training and Tsunade-shishou's taijutsu training. Anyway, I'm late. Lee-kun, thank you for the meal."

Pushing her plate aside, she stood up and headed out of the café towards the Hokage's tower.

Author's Notes:

3 – Ittekimasu "I'm leaving now"

Yeah I know, this chapter ended up being really Sakura-centric. But I LIKE Sakura, and I think she's a much more complex character then most people give her credit for. I also really like exploring not only her relationship with Sasuke, but the way that she grows as a person after he leaves. I feel that it is Sasuke's abandonment that really serves as the impetus for Sakura's transformation into a stronger person. Anyway, don't worry. The story itself isn't Sakura-centric. If anything, it's Neji-centric, as he's the one who will likely have the hardest time adjusting to Suzuki's existence as it throws his own into disarray. Next chapter will give a bit more of an insight into what the other Konoha Genin are up to, their feelings on the upcoming exam, and probably Suzuki's appearance (if I get that far before I get to a stopping point).

Chapter 2 Preview: Ino, Chouji, and Lee aren't the only ones preparing for the Chuunin exams. Neji and Tenten, as well as the remaining Rookie-9 are all working hard to improve on their individual techniques. But the exams this year will be a little different. Will Sakura decide to enter in the exams after all? Will Neji be able to advance his Kaiten to the next level? Will Hinata ever pull together the courage to challenge her cousin and her sister and prove herself? But all of those questions fall to the wayside by the arrival of a newcomer from a strange village, possessing the emotionless white eyes of the Hyuuga.

Please read and review, begs the little purple button...


	3. Chapter 2: Fate and Change

**Genre**: Action/Drama/Angst/Romance

**Pairings**: Eventual NaruHina, SasuSaku, NejiTen, ShikaTem, ShikaIno, possibly others. Just because someone is paired with someone now, doesn't mean they'll stay that way.

**Summary**: During the 3-year time skip, when the Chuunin exams are held for the second time, the lives of the Konoha Genin, especially that of Hyuuga Neji, are thrown into disarray by the appearance of a girl with luminous white eyes, carrying the name of Hyuuga Suzuki. Exactly WHO is Suzuki, and how will the Konoha gang, especially Neji and Hinata, deal with the seething hatred she holds for the very clan from which she takes her name?

Notes: At the point GWE begins, it is roughly a year and a half since Naruto has left, and the Rookie-9 are 14. That makes Neji's team 15, Gaara 14, Temari 17, and Kankurou 16. Suzuki is 14, same age as the Rookie-9. I know that some chapters, especially the earlier ones, may seem very one-character-centric in nature, but that's simply because before the plot does much forward motion, character introduction and setting is needed and there is time that is needed for that. I can't write about a character when I haven't fully delineated their current mental state/status/location/etc. My original plan was to do all of that in the first chapter, but due to the shittiness of my transitioning skills, it was simply easier to break it into parts rather then trying to do an ungainly transition from one group of characters to the next.

As always, thoughts are in italics, inner-selves talking will be in bold, and dialogue is in normal quotes.

Ghost-White Eyes 

Chapter Two – Fate and Change

Summary – With the Chuunin Exams looming, Sakura is not the only one who is having doubts. While Hinata struggles to change herself and prove to the others what she is capable of, Neji delves deeper into himself in a quest for strength to surpass his current levels.

Chakra flew around the clearing, ripping new leaves off of their branches and shredding the grasses and plants. The bluish energy whirled, rushing noise increasing as the speed of the spin increased. The chakra coalesced, forming a hollowed sphere around the figure in the center of it, deep furrows gouging themselves from the land as the energy intensified. The young man in the center of the whirling chakra concentrated, gritting his teeth. Hyuuga Neji knew that at any moment his sparring partner would rain down an arsenal of weapons on him that he had to dodge. That in itself was nothing new or interesting to him. Why would it be? HE was a Hyuuga. He was certainly capable of deflecting every single one of her weapons. In fact, he could do it without even trying that hard. Because he was Neji. The prodigy of Konohagakure's Hyuuga clan, and the number one rookie of his graduating class at the academy. Because of those facts, there was very little that bothered Hyuuga Neji. At the moment, the thing that WAS bothering him the most was his seeming inability to advance. He narrowed his white eyes, the veins of his Byakugan becoming even more prominent as he strained for the power he sought.

_I need more chakra. Have to concentrate. Focus. Gather the chakra and expel it, control the rotation, add more power to expand the radius…_

The chakra moved faster, the borders of the sphere seeming to dissipate and reform before they began to inch slowly outwards, expanding the diameter of the field. Neji strained to hold it in, to control the chakra and keep the smooth barrier intact while still expanding the radius of the sphere.

_More. More, I need more chakra. Have to focus…_

The sphere's boundaries surged with energy, expanding suddenly nearly a foot outward before there was a crack and it dissipated. As the whirl of energy vanished, the dust cleared to reveal the dark-haired prodigy on hands and knees in the center of the crater he had created. Neji panted, grimacing in discomfort as he pushed himself up onto one knee, sweat dripping down his brow. He punched a bandaged fist into the ground in frustration, barely noticing when his sparring partner dropped from the trees to land beside him.

Tenten watched her pearl-eyed teammate with a certain degree of trepidation. She knew that Neji was a very proud man, not to mention a very driven one. She also knew, from the training that she did with him every morning, that he was suffering a blow to that same pride as he struggled with something that had never before been difficult for him. Hyuuga Neji had never encountered an advancement that he couldn't seem to master, especially when it was an advancement of his own abilities. He was, in a word, perfect. But not right now. Tenten hadn't ever seen the calm and collected Hyuuga lose his temper, but it seemed very like that might be what was about to happen. She sighed inwardly.

Neji… 

She knew better then to say anything to him. Telling him that it was all right, that he'd surely figure it out the next time would only be met with a cold stare and abject hostility from the prideful young man. No, all that she could offer him right now was her presence. Not that he even really seemed to care for that. Tenten had no illusions about things between her and Neji. She had come to terms with the fact that, although she harbored feelings for the stoic Hyuuga, he seemed to see her as nothing more then a teammate and sparring partner. A living punching bag, if you will. Though he was always careful not to do her any lasting damage, he never held back. She smiled slightly at the thought. Of course he didn't hold back. He knew very well that she would never have forgiven him if he did. She was just as tough as he was, just as determined. And he saw and respected that. And that was how their relationship was. Tenten didn't even really know what sort of label to put to it. They weren't friends, not like Sakura and Lee were. Friends hung out, talked on the phone, did things together for fun. All that Neji and Tenten ever did was train together and go on missions. He was never interested in anything of the lighter variety in regards to pastimes. They certainly weren't lovers. Tenten supposed that the only reason people got THAT idea was because of the enormous amount of time that she and the quiet Hyuuga prodigy spent together. So they weren't friends, and they weren't lovers, but at the same time they weren't merely teammates or acquaintances. There was something else there, something deeper and more profound. A level of trust that only came from knowing each other so completely and understanding each other on such a deep level. Tenten mentally shook her head. Now wasn't the time to be dissecting her relationship with the young man on the ground in front of her.

"Neji, are you all right? We can stop now, you know. You look like you need to rest. Your concentration's faltering. See?"

She pulled a bandage out of her pocket and dabbed it at a cut on his cheek that was oozing blood. Though he had dodged all of her weapons, like always, one had apparently gotten a bit closer then it normally did. Neji's hand shot up, fingers wrapping around her wrist and pushing her hand away. Moonstone eyes locked on hers, their white depths betraying little to no emotion.

"I'm fine, Tenten. I do not require your mothering. As for training, if you do not wish to train with me anymore, I will simply find someone else."

Tenten shook her head with a slight smirk. She wasn't offended at the way he pushed her away with his somewhat gruff words. After all, it was just Neji's way. She pushed herself to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Never said I didn't want to train anymore. But don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're getting tired."

She turned and walked off, gathering up her scattered weapons as she did so. Neji watched her as she moved, eyes studying her figure. Though he certainly wasn't thinking about Tenten "that way", he couldn't help but notice the changes in her that had taken place over the last few years. She had decided that it couldn't hurt to let herself be a little more feminine, probably in large part due to the nagging she got from Sakura and Ino. Something about kunoichi and "using all of their advantages". Anyway, whatever effect their words had on Tenten, she had changed her normal pink shirt to one in the same style that was red satin with black and gold dragons printed on it, and underneath the shirt had added a long-sleeved black mesh shirt. She had traded her normal dark blue pants for black ones, and although her hair was still up in it's typical buns, she had added bao (1) to them that had trailing black and red ribbons. All in all, Neji had to admit that she looked nice like that. At least, nice in the sense that all girls looked nice when they dressed attractively. She glanced back over her shoulder at him and stuck her tongue out, tucking her scrolls back into the holsters she kept them in.

"What are you waiting for, Neji? If you're not going to train, maybe I should go and find something better to do."

Neji frowned as she went back to picking up the weapons. That was another thing on the very short list of things that bothered Hyuuga Neji; the recent change in his teammate's demeanor. He let his mind wander over the topic as he got up and brushed himself off, tucking stray strands of dark chocolate-hued hair back behind his hitai-ate. She'd always been friendly with him; far more so then he'd likely ever been to her. That in itself wasn't anything unusual. But lately, her demeanor had become even MORE friendly then usual. It almost reminded him of how Haruno Sakura used to treat the Uchiha. He shuddered slightly at the thought and mentally thanked any gods listening that Tenten was NOTHING like the pink-haired medic-nin. It wasn't that he didn't LIKE Sakura. He tolerated her, as best as Hyuuga Neji tolerated much of anything other then his teammates, but he certainly had no desire to spend any length of time around her. And he dearly hoped that Tenten wasn't starting to turn into a bunned version of Sakura. His pearly eyes studied the form of his teammate as she twirled a kunai around one finger. He smirked slightly as he saw the tenseness increase in her body. She was getting frustrated. No, she was nothing like Sakura. He let the smirk fade from his face as she turned around to face him with an irritated stamp of her foot.

"Neji! Stop daydreaming and let's train!"

He glared at her slightly, folding his arms across the front of his shirt and nodding.

"I agree. Unfortunately, I must wait for _you_ to finish collecting your weapons. Therefore it seems rather childish and pointless of you to throw a tantrum at me when it is YOU who are keeping us from training."

He grinned inwardly as she stumbled, face red as she tried to come up with a suitable retort. He had to admit he enjoyed irritating Tenten. Especially when she did that overly friendly thing and tried to, dare he suggest it, _flirt_ with him. He hoped that wasn't what she was trying to do. If so, it was just silly. Romantic notions were for other people. Not for shinobi, and certainly not for Hyuuga Neji.

_That'll teach her to try and tease me when I'm training. She's just trying to get me to lose my focus._

This time he smirked coldly at her, taking a stance.

"Whenever you're ready, I'll be waiting."

Tenten fumed inwardly at him as she gathered the last of her weapons. He didn't have to be so…so HYUUGA-like all the time. Dispelling all of the summoned weapons that she had called up, she turned back to glance at the arrogant bastard she liked to call her teammate. She wasn't the only one who had changed her look in the last few years. Neji still wore his hair the same way, though he had moved the strip of cloth he tied it with a bit further up the ponytail so that rather then resting near the end of his hair, it was midway down his ponytail. He wore the same shirt as before, though it was now sleeveless and worn like a jacket over top of a simple black long-sleeve shirt. He had traded in his shorts for long pants, but he still wore the bandages on his one arm and leg. She sighed and shook her head. It was certainly no time to be admiring the "scenery". Taking a deep breath, she attacked him again as he spun into his Kaiten, the weapons hitting the chakra with a boom.



The girl with the white eyes looked up with a bit of trepidation at the resounding boom that echoed through the forest. Running a hand through her short indigo-coloured hair, Hinata swallowed hard. She knew what those sounds meant. She studied the faint plume of smoke that wafted up from the forests several miles away.

_Neji-niisan…_

The short-haired girl wasn't dumb. She knew that the noises and smoke came from where the other Hyuuga, her branch house cousin Neji, was working on his training. She trembled slightly at the thought of her older cousin. Although he had been more tolerant and less abusive of her since the first Chuunin exams, things between them had remained strained. Neji was respectful to her simply because she was a member of the Head family, not because of any lingering warmth of feeling. Hyuuga Hinata had a strong suspicion that, given the opportunity and if she weren't of the Head family, her older cousin wouldn't hesitate to make good on what he'd tried to do at the Chuunin Exam preliminaries.

"Oy, Hinata! Are you alright?"

Hinata turned around to where her teammate Inuzuka Kiba was standing, hands on his hips. He sighed and shook his head.

"Honestly, Hinata. If you keep spacing out like that, you're gonna end up in a lot of trouble. What if I hadn't noticed you'd stopped fighting?"

Hinata nodded, face slightly flushed. She hadn't meant to space out like that, it had just happened.

"Gomen ne, Kiba-kun…"

The Inuzuka boy shook his head with a grin.

"It's ok, I'm not mad or anything. I'd just feel pretty lousy if I hurt you because you weren't paying attention. Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, you've already got your Shugohakke, wouldn't you rather practice that instead of trying to learn this?"

Hinata paused for a moment. He did have a point. Why WAS she trying so hard to learn the difficult technique? Hadn't she already worked hard on developing her own specialized technique that only she could use? She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt for a moment, letting her mind replay the events from the following week. Thinking back, she fixed in her mind the words that had made her determined to prove them wrong.

**Flashback**

Hinata stood in front of her father, head up and eyes fixed on his. Though she was putting up a brave front, she kept her hands fisted by her sides to hide the trembling in them. Hiashi furrowed his brow, unsure what to make of the expression on his normally-timid daughter's face.

"Teach it to me, Father. Kaiten. I want to learn."

Hiashi's eyes widened momentarily before he cleared his throat, regaining control over his emotions. His expression stoney, he shook his head.

"And what makes you think that _you_ are capable of learning Kaiten? That is a technique passed down through the Main family for generations. Only those who posess the strongest of the Hyuuga abilities can master it. Why would you think that you are in any way capable of it?"

Hinata frowned, faltering slightly in her resolve. Her voice betrayed her, trembling slightly as she pressed forward.

"B..but Father, I am of the Main Family, the eldest child even. I wish only for the chance to try."

Hiashi cut her off with a sweep of his hand that signified he was through talking. He got up, fixing harsh white eyes on her face.

"Enough, Hinata. Even Hanabi is unsuitable for Kaiten. What would even be the point of training a weakling who cannot even measure up to her? Remove yourself from my sight."

He turned and walked away leaving Hinata in his wake, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. But this time they were not tears of sadness. They were tears of anger. She gritted her teeth, staring down at her tabi(2)-clad feet and watched the teardrops hit the polished wood floor before raising her head to watch the back of the man down the hallway as it vanished into the distance.

_Just you wait, Father. I'll prove to everyone, and especially to you, that I'm not as weak as you think I am._

End Flashback

Fixing her resolve firmly in her mind, Hinata shook her head. No, she would not back down and resign herself to always being less then others. She may not be as strong as Neji, or even as strong as Hanabi, but she would prove to her family, her father, and especially herself that she COULD change.

"Yes, Kiba-kun, I'm sure. I want to do this."

She stepped back a few feet from him and nodded her head. Kiba nodded in response and backed up some more, pulling out a fistful of kunai and shuriken.

"Whenever you're ready, Hinata."

Taking a deep breath, the indigo-haired girl closed her eyes and concentrated. Activating her Byakugan, she took a stance, one hand extended behind her, the other out in front. As Kiba waited, Hinata's body began to glow slightly with a faint blue light as she concentrated on gathering and expelling chakra. As soon as he saw her move, Kiba struck. He flung the first few shuriken at Hinata as she spun, glowing chakra whirling around her. The first one hit and bounced off, but the second and third only deflected slightly, passing through the outer part of the chakra. The last one went straight through the sphere, eliciting a yelp of pain from Hinata. The chakra faded away as the petite girl dropped to her knees, clutching one arm where the shuriken had struck.

"Hinata!"

Kiba dashed over, dropping to his knees beside her and pushing up her sleeve. The cut wasn't deep, and it had been a clean slice. Kiba sighed as he rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a bottle of disinfectant and a roll of bandages. He cleaned her wound as gently as he could, trying to ignore the slight hiss of pain she let out at the stinging of the disinfectant. Akamaru whimpered and nudged Hinata's elbow with his nose, as if trying to make her feel better. She smiled slightly and petted him on the head with her other hand. Kiba wrapped the bandages around her arm before tying it off and rolling down her sleeve.

"There you go. Na Hinata, let's take a break. You're not used to this and it's no good if you tire yourself out too much right from the start. How about we take a breather and have some of those snacks we brought?"

Hinata nodded slightly, watching the clouds as they rolled slowly across the sky. She murmered thanks to Kiba as he handed her an onigiri, then sat down beside her, leaning back on the grass. Akamaru curled up between them, resting his head on Kiba's chest. The dark-haired girl drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and letting her chin rest on top of her knees. She stared out at the village down below, chin-length hair blowing slightly in the breeze. She had decided to let it grow out a bit, hoping that maybe Naruto would notice. Afterall, Sakura's hair was longer and she knew that the blonde-haired shinobi seemed to dote on his kunoichi team-mate. Hinata sighed, pushing the thoughts out of her head. She knew very well that Naruto didn't notice her in that way, no matter how hard she tried. Though she felt it was a little mean of her, Hinata couldn't help but be thankful that at least Sakura didn't return his affections. In a way, the Hyuuga girl felt she could even be thankful to Uchiha Sasuke for something. The dark-haired young man had always frightened her a bit, and it had taken her a long while to understand why a man like Naruto, who seemed so full of light and energy and happiness would consider a darkness like Sasuke to be his best friend. Hinata understood that now. She understood how Naruto felt about Sasuke, about how the onyx-eyed young man provided a driving force, a rivalry, a comparison between himself and Naruto that gave the ramen-loving boy something to shoot for, something to work towards other then his dream of Hokage. And Uchiha Sasuke distracted Haruno Sakura from ever realizing what a wonderful treasure there was in Uzumaki Naruto. Hinata sighed and dropped her head slightly.

_I wonder how Naruto-kun has changed since he's left? Will he still be the same Naruto-kun as he was before? Will he notice me then, like he never has yet?_

Hinata knew that Naruto wouldn't be the only one who had changed. She cast a glance to her team-mate who had closed his eyes and was dozing in the mid-morning sunshine. She and the rest of Team 8 had matured a good deal as well. Kiba had stopped wearing his hood up all the time, and changed his gray, fur-trimmed jacket for an opened black one with the kanji for "dog" in blue on the back. He kept the same shirt and pants underneath, and his hair was just as unkempt as before. Akamaru had changed too. He was now about the size of a St. Bernard, and certainly couldn't ride on Kiba's head or shoulder like he once had anymore. Hinata giggled slightly at the thought of an enormous Akamaru sitting on top of Kiba's head. The object of her amusement opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Hinata…? What's so funny?"

Hinata shook her head and resumed her cloud-watching.

"Betsuni" (1)

Kiba shrugged to himself and lay back down, staring at the clouds. Or rather, doing a good job of looking as though he was staring at the clouds. Instead, he was actually watching his pearl-eyed team-mate. Hinata had certainly grown up a bit in the last couple of years. She was letting her hair grow out, and even though Kiba thought it looked really cute short, he couldn't deny that it looked good the way she had it now, in a chin-length bob with slightly longer pieces on either side of her face. Her clothes had changed a bit as well. She had traded in the tan parka she always wore for a navy blue one with cream accents on it and the swirled flame crest on the back rather then on the arms. The new jacket wasn't quite as baggy as her last one had been and gave a bit more of a hint as to what lay underneath. Kiba felt his cheeks grow warm at that thought. While he hadn't really gotten a GOOD look, he sparred with Hinata enough to know that she had matured quite nicely and was amply curved under the jacket. Though the petite girl still carried the same shy manner that was so typical of her, she was starting to loosen up a little bit. True to that, she occasionally would even wear the jacket unzipped with a mesh and black shirt underneath it. She still wore her hitai-ate around her neck and still wore the same pants and blue sandals as before, and Kiba was a bit glad. He liked the way Hinata had been, and he wouldn't have liked to see her change too much.

"Ne, Kiba-kun…"

Kiba looked up and swallowed a lump that formed in his throat as he fixed his eyes on Hinata, staring out towards the horizon with the breeze ruffling her hair.

_Why don't I ever actually make a move, anyway? It's not like I don't LIKE her that way…_

"What do you think Naruto-kun would say if he could see me right now? Do you think he'd be proud that I'm training so hard? Do you…do you think that he'd even notice?"

Kiba grimaced slightly. THAT was why, he reminded himself. Inuzuka Kiba had no delusions about these sorts of things. He knew perfectly well that he had little hope of ever occupying the place in Hinata's heart that was currently home to an obnoxious, loud, inconsiderate blonde with way too much energy. It didn't matter that HE was here when that dobe wasn't. Hinata didn't care that Naruto wasn't there with her. Because wherever SHE was, she carried him with her. Kiba couldn't help but see the irony in it. Because as oblivious as Naruto seemed to be towards Hinata's feelings, the tiny Hyuuga girl seemed just as ignorant of the way her team-mate looked at her. He feigned a thoughtful look.

_Well, if it's dead-last, I'm sure he'd be proud of you once someone beat some sense into him and he actually NOTICED…_

Of course, that wasn't what he said. Kiba wasn't the type to be thoughtless with his words. At least not where Hinata was concerned. He knew what a sensitive person she was and that she was especially fragile where Naruto was concerned.

"I'm sure he would, Hinata. I mean, Naruto cheered you on in the last Chuunin exam, right? I don't think he would change now and suddenly not see how hard you're trying."

_Until Sakura walked by, that is. Then he'd forget about you and go off chasing her just like usual. Leaving you behind to cry. Even though you never cry on the outside Hinata, I know it's got to hurt to see it happen._

Hinata nodded, smiling as a faint blush coloured her cheeks.

"I hope so, Kiba-kun."

She stood up and stretched, walked a few feet away, then spun back around, hands behind her.

"Ne Kiba-kun, let's get back to training. I feel all rested now."

Kiba nodded and got to his feet himself.

"Alright, whenever you're ready."

OK, so the numbering on the notes is a bit out of order. Don't sweat it, ok?

1 – Betsuni – Japanese for "nothing much".

2 – tabi – the white socks that Japanese women wear with kimono, they usually just have two toes to them to allow for the hanao (strap) of the sandals to go there.

OK, so yet another character-centric chapter, but I hope that people who are reading this can appreciate what I'm trying to do here before the story really gets rolling. Since the story takes place during a time that hasn't been explored by Kishimoto-sensei, I therefore must take pains to lay out the setting and situation. Next chapter should start to get things rolling, at least in regards to finishing up the character intros and starting into the preparations for the exam. Yeah, I know I said I'd intro Suzuki in this chapter, but it's just not panning out quite the way that I had planned. Hopefully if not the next chapter, definitely by chapter 4. I just want to make it clear storywise that while she is certainly central to the story, she isn't really the "main" character, so to speak.

Chapter 3 Preview – While Team Gai and Team 8 prepare themselves for the exams, Team Asuma ponders their fate. How will Ino and Chouji participate in the exams now that Shikamaru is a Chuunin? And what will be Sakura's choice when the time comes to make it? As the Godaime Hokage makes her announcements as to the modifications of the exam, candidates from neighboring villages gather to try their hand at the exam. They bring with them not only their techniques and pride, but also secrets and surprises for the Konoha Genin.


End file.
